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Takeaways: Penguins Put Together Strong Response Game, Take Home 3 Of 4 Points In NHL Global Series

After a thoroughly disappointing 2-1 overtime loss to open the NHL Global Series on Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins aimed to take home three of four possible points in their rematch with the Nashville Predators on Sunday.

And they put together a very strong effort in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Penguins defeated the Predators, 4-0, in a game that began at 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast. Rookie netminder Sergei Murashov earned the shutout and his first career NHL win - as well as Game MVP honors and a nice watch - in a 21-save performance.

And - according to Penguins PR - Murashov required the fewest career games played (2) to record his first NHL shutout in franchise history. 

"Really great crowd, great vibe at the arena," Murashov said. "Thanks for everyone who came in who watched this game. It's a really nice opportunity in life just to change scenery and play in a different spot but still take care of our own business."

The Penguins got off to a fast start in this one, as Parker Wotherspoon fired a seeing-eye shot from the left point to kick off the scoring a little more than two minutes into regulation. Six minutes later, Evgeni Malkin had a deja vu moment from Friday when he was parked below the goal line right by the net and threw a puck toward the net-front, and it hit Nicholas Hague's foot and went in to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead. 

'It's Huge For Me': Olympics Big Motivating Factor For Penguins' Players This Season'It's Huge For Me': Olympics Big Motivating Factor For Penguins' Players This SeasonThe 2026 Olympic Games in Milano Cortina are a huge motivating factor for several Pittsburgh Penguins' players like Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, and Bryan Rust - as well as for the entirety of the NHL.

Then - just two minutes later - the Penguins got a little bit of puck luck when the vulcanized rubber went off a Preds' stick and right to Sidney Crosby's stick in the left circle. Crosby sniped the puck past Juuse Saros to give the Penguins an early 3-0 lead - and one that they wouldn't surrender.

The Predators did get a lot of chances on the power play in the second period, but the Penguins wouldn't break. They generated some scoring opportunities in the third period as well, and the Penguins - and Murashov - stood tall defenisively. Their early onslaught proved too much for the Preds to overcome.

All in all, it was a solid bounceback effort for the Penguins, and they are going back to Pittsburgh with three out of four points on their trip to Sweden. And this is no small thing considering that the Penguins had lost five of their previous six games going into this one.

"We were just motivated to bounce back," Crosby said. "I thought it showed with the way we played. It doesn't always work out that you get three [goals], even if you have a good start. So, that was big, and, obviously, our penalty kill was big there in the second. But that start was huge."

Here are some takeaways from this one:

- The Penguins changed around their forward lines for this game, as Ben Kindel - who has been on Crosby's line for the past handful of games - was put back into the third-line center role, Connor Dewar was put on Crosby's left, Kevin Hayes was bumped up to Malkin's left, and Tommy Novak was moved back down with Kindel. Danton Heinen also slotted in for Ville Koivunen, who is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

And the lineup shifting paid off big time. 

Obviously, the injury situation doesn't make constructing a perfect - or, even, formidable - lineup easy. Moving Kindel up in the first place was more so a move of necessity rather than one of pure election, as Crosby's line was struggling to generate, and two top-six wingers in Rickard Rakell and Justin Brazeau are injured and forced their hand. 

But this team is much better with Kindel centering the third line. It wasn't a particularly loud game for the trio of Kindel, Novak, and Philip Tomasino, but they did generate some chances - and Crosby's line with Connor Dewar and Bryan Rust were fine without Kindel. And they were able to roll four lines, which is something they haven't been able to do throughout this recent stretch of games.

When the Penguins can roll lines, they're hard to play against. And that's what happened against Nashville.

- This was a good effort from the Penguins, even if things got a little hairy in the second period. The Penguins killed off a Ryan Graves tripping minor six minutes into the middle frame, and Ryan Shea took a slashing penalty a little past the midway point of the period. 

Then, with 37 seconds left on Shea's infraction, the Penguins took a Too Many Men penalty and gave Nashville a five-on-three. And Pittsburgh's penalty kill - once again - came up big.

Rutger McGroarty Shines In Return As WBS Penguins Complete Weekend SweepRutger McGroarty Shines In Return As WBS Penguins Complete Weekend SweepSaturday marked the return for one of the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' top forward prospects.&nbsp;

Blake Lizotte - I'll get to him in a minute - put forth a nice individual effort high in the defensive zone to stall some time and prevent the Predators from getting set up. Erik Karlsson and Wotherspoon did some nice work down low as well, and the Penguins were able to kill off both the five-on-three and the regular man-advantage that followed. 

The Penguins' penalty kill now ranks fifth in the league at 85.7 percent, and their power play - which did not get an opportunity in this game - ranks first at 34.1 percent. Special teams is winning the Penguins hockey games, and if they can keep both units operating at a high level, they should continue to help the Penguins win a lot of hockey games.

- Speaking of Lizotte, he was outstanding in this game. As a matter of fact, he's been outstanding this entire season. 

Nov 16, 2025; Stockholm, SWEDEN; Pittsburgh Penguins center Blake Lizotte (46) and Nashville Predators center Fedor Svechkov (40) collide in a Global Series ice hockey game at Avicii Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-Imagn Images

If Lizotte is involved in a puck battle along the wall, he wins it. If there is a race to the puck, he wins it. If there is a battle for positioning around the net - despite his size - he wins it. 

This guy works his tail off night-in and night-out. He is excellent on the penalty kill and is an energizer in the bottom-six. He's the perfect fourth-line center, and the Penguins are a better team with him on it.

- At the end of the second period, a video of Crosby smiling ear-to-ear as he cross-checked Nashville forward Luke Evangelista went viral. 

Of course, there was a lot leading up to that moment, including a few missed cross-checks by Evangelista earlier in the game. Frustration was mounting for Nashville, and hockey happened as a result. 

I'm never one to side with players taking cheap shots. But this wasn't a cheap shot by Crosby. It was barely anything more than a love tap. And seeing him smile through the entire thing was truly something else. 

- Wotherspoon continues to be a revelation for the Penguins. He is perfectly steady next to Karlsson, and he has shown an ability to manage the puck really well, too. 

On his goal, he did a little stop-and-start while possessing the puck before walking to his left and firing the puck toward the goal. I like his skating. I like his smarts. I like how he tandems with Karlsson. 

He's been an excellent find for the Penguins and a huge reason for the team's - and Karlsson's - early success.

- On the other hand, I didn't think Clifton enjoyed a particularly strong game on the bottom pairing. He did make a nice play on the backcheck during the second period to break up a play, but there were a few occasions where he was caught out of position and couldn't get back, he lost the puck in the defensive zone leading to a turnover, and he misread plays in general.

None of Clifton, Matt Dumba, or Harrison Brunicke have shown enough to secure regular playing time on the right side of the bottom pairing. Ryan Graves has been perfectly solid on the left side since his recall from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS). The only one he hasn't played with is Brunicke.

Sooner or later, it would be nice to see one of them begin to separate himself on the right side.

- Speaking of Brunicke...

...If you're keeping track, this was the 19-year-old rookie defenseman's fifth consecutive NHL healthy scratch, which makes him eligible for a one-time, five-game or 14-day maximum AHL conditioning loan. 

The Penguins don't play until Friday. The WBS Penguins play exactly five games within the next 14 days, and that is true up until the end of Thursday this week. Brunicke has played in nine games and has not yet reached his 10th to trigger his entry-level contract. The World Junior Championship (WJC) is coming up at the end of December.

What Will The Penguins Do With Top Defensive Prospect Harrison Brunicke?What Will The Penguins Do With Top Defensive Prospect Harrison Brunicke?On Thursday, it was confirmed by <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' head coach Dan Muse that 18-year-old center <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/penguins-top-prospect-ben-kindel-to-remain-in-pittsburgh">Ben Kindel will remain in the NHL through his 10th game</a>, meaning the first year of his three-year entry-level contract will kick in.&nbsp;

You do the math. If I were a betting person, I'd say there's a clear path for Brunicke here over the coming days and weeks. He needs to see game action at some point, and a short AHL stint is the perfect opportunity for a reset before getting very competitive minutes at the WJC.

Keep an eye on this situation.

- Obviously, you don't want to get too far ahead of things. 

But Murashov is so calm, poised, and confident in his net. He operates with such composure for a 21-year-old who literally just entered the league a week ago. He had to make some tough saves in this game - namely a second-period save on Stamkos during a Preds' power play - and most of the time, he's making it look easy.

There will be bumps in the road with a young goaltender. There always are with any young player. But there is something different about this kid. He's special. 

The Penguins put together exactly the kind of bounceback game that they needed to Sunday. And Murashov was a huge part of that. If he and Arturs Silovs continue to operate at the level they have so far, this team is going to have a very good problem when it comes time for Tristan Jarry to return from injured reserve. 

Takeaways: Penguins' Lack Of Injury Depth Exposed In 2-1 Loss To Predators During First Game Of Global SeriesTakeaways: Penguins' Lack Of Injury Depth Exposed In 2-1 Loss To Predators During First Game Of Global SeriesDespite all of the excitement and fanfare surrounding the start of the 2025-26 Global Series, Friday simply wasn't the night for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!  

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Draymond Green reveals what heckling Pelicans fan said to spark confrontation

Draymond Green reveals what heckling Pelicans fan said to spark confrontation originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green heard the trash talk from a New Orleans Pelicans fan on Sunday night, and he had something to say in response.

Following the Warriors’ 124-106 win over the Pelicans, Green addressed the odd scene that occurred at Smoothie King Center.

“He just kept calling me a woman,” Green told reporters in New Orleans (h/t The San Francisco Chronicle’s Sam Gordon). “It was a good joke at first, but you can’t keep calling me a woman. I got four kids, one on the way. Can’t keep calling me a woman. Yeah, he got quiet, though. So it’s fine.”

Green explained how the fan’s tone changed once the Warriors forward approached him.

“Well, he was talking at first, and then you get a little closer. And he didn’t really say much else. But no, it’s fine, we’ll move on.

“Yeah, he just kept calling me a woman’s name and I am not … Do I look like a woman? Do I look like a woman? … Lisa Leslie was a good rebounder, too. She’s older than me, you know, but she don’t be disrespectful. It’s cool. We move on.”

Following a Warriors’ foul late in the second quarter, Green walked up to the fan along the baseline and exchanged words with him. Referee Courtney Kirkland quickly intervened and de-escalated the situation before it could get physical.

Green praised Kirkland’s actions.

“He just told me, ‘I got it. I’ve heard him over and over and over again. You’ve handled it well. Don’t get yourself in no trouble. I’ll take care of it.’ Courtney was great,” Green told reporters.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr had no issue with how Green handled the situation.

“As long as it doesn’t escalate, it’s fine to go over and have a discussion,” Kerr told reporters. “I had no problem with it. It would have been nice if security had gotten there a little bit earlier … it’s hard to comment on it because I don’t know what was said.”

Arena security approached the fan and reportedly gave him a card indicating that he had been warned.

The Warriors picked up their third consecutive road win, beating a Pelicans team that didn’t have star forward Zion Williamson and former Golden State guard Jordan Poole, and just fired coach Willie Green on Saturday.

Even with Steph Curry in the building, the vibe from Pelicans fans was muted — aside from Green’s heckler.

But winning any road game makes Green happy.

“I love it,” Green told reporters. “I love disrespect on the road because, you know, we win a lot. Not this year, we haven’t won a lot, but we usually win a lot on the road. So quieting a home crowd is always fun. This crowd wasn’t too loud to begin with, so, yeah.”

Green wasn’t penalized in the moment for the incident and he likely won’t face any punishment from the league.

In the end, cooler heads prevailed before something really bad happened.

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Jannik Sinner sees off Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets to defend ATP Finals title

  • Italian wins 7-6 (4), 7-5 in Turin final

  • Sinner finishes year with six titles

On his favourite surface and before a rowdy home crowd, Jannik Sinner closed out his immense season with a statement victory against his great rival Carlos Alcaraz, putting together a supreme performance to defeat the Spaniard 7-6 (4), 7-5 and successfully defend his title at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Despite his season being slightly abbreviated because of his three‑month doping ban, and Alcaraz seizing the year-end No 1 ranking with a legendary year of his own, Sinner finishes 2025 with six titles, a 58-6 win-loss record and three of the five biggest titles in the year.

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Jonathan Drouin Reflects on His Time in Colorado

DENVER — Jonathan Drouin enjoyed his two years with the Colorado Avalanche, but now he’s ready to face his old squad tonight a member of the New York Islanders at Ball Arena. 

Drouin, 30, became an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. The Islanders signed him to a two-year, $8 million contract on July 1. 

“I always loved my two years here,” Drouin told The Hockey News. “I had a great time, and it’s always cool to come back here.” 

Brock Nelson, for instance, played parts of 13 seasons with the Islanders and told reporters it was going to be weird facing his old team. However, for Drouin, it’s not as difficult as a transition as one would think because he’s used to playing in the opposing locker room at this venue. 

Familiar Territory for Drouin

When asked if it would be strange playing against the Avs: “No, I’ve been here before. The walk’s a little strange, you go a little further to go to the Avs locker room, but no, again, I enjoyed my time here; I had a blast, and it’s good to be back.” 

In two seasons with the Avalanche, Drouin posted 30 goals and 63 assists in 122 games. His final year in the burgundy and blue was plagued by injuries, but in his 43 games for Colorado last year, he was nearly a point-per-game player, tallying 11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points. 

Drouin was a familiar face at the Avalanche morning skate, sporting an Islanders hoodie, coffee in hand, as he chatted with former teammates Parker Kelly and Devon Toews, along with a few staff members. The easy rapport made it evident there’s no lingering tension between Drouin and his former club. And once tonight’s game is in the books, he plans to spend more time catching up with everyone. 

Makar-Schaefer Comparisons 

After morning skate, Jared Bednar acknowledged the growing comparisons between two-time Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar and 18-year-old Islanders prospect Matthew Schaefer. Drouin, when asked about the parallels, echoed Bednar’s assessment. 

“Yeah, the skating for sure,” he explained. “His skating is very impressive. Obviously Cale is on another level now; he’s been in the league for a little longer, but what Schae’s been doing in his first year as a rookie, has been very impressive. 

“As I said, the skating is very similar, they have that speed to get away from a lot of guys and create a rush.” 

Drouin has logged 624 NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Avalanche, and now the Islanders, producing 110 goals and 278 assists for 388 points over that span. 

Gametime 

The Avalanche (12-1-5) look to eliminate another long winning streak as they take on Patrick Roy’s Islanders (10-6-2), winners of their last four. Puck drop is at 7:11 p.m. local time.  

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ATP Finals tennis: Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz to lift title for a second year in a row– as it happened

Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(4) 7-5, winning the ATP Finals without dropping a set for the second consecutive year

Time for the Italian anthem. Tuuuuuune!

An exciting variable tonight: Sinner is playing at home. The Turin crowd will be partial in the extreme, the atmosphere steaming, and much as I’m sure Alcaraz can handle it, he’s not used to it.

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Shabanov & Mayfield Return To Islanders Lineup vs. Avalanche

The New York Islanders welcome Maxim Shabanov and Scott Mayfield back to the lineup against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday night. 

New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) on XNew York Islanders (@NYIslanders) on XShabanov is in for Tsyplakov and Mayfield is in for Boqvist. Read more in the #Isles Day to Day ⬇️ https://t.co/140nUrgjaA

Shabanov, who is projected to skate on the fourth line in Maxim Tsyplakov’s spot, has not played since sustaining an upper-body injury against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 21.

He’s missed the last 12 games and has one goal and two assists for three points in six games.

Mayfield had missed the previous two games -- a 4-3 overtime win against the Vegas Golden Knights and a 3-2 overtime win against the Utah Mammoth -- as he and his wife welcomed their first child. 

Adam Boqvist played in his absence. Travis Mitchell, who was recalled from Bridgeport to serve as the seventh defenseman, was returned on Saturday. 

The University of Denver alum has three assists in 16 games this season, averaging 18:48 minutes per game. 

https://x.com/stefen_rosner/status/1990148453775655178?s=46&t=IRIFf8wmlEpx9YxSM0Kyjg

Puck drop is slated for 9 PM ET on MSGSN.

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Update on NBA gambling investigation: Lakers among several teams asked to turn over phones

In the wake of federal indictments and arrests in two illegal gambling probes — including Hall of Famer and Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, as well as former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones — the NBA investigation into those charges moves forward as well, according to a new report.

That report also suggests the NBA could soon tighten its injury reporting restrictions, which theoretically could have prevented instances of inside information on injuries being sold to gamblers, leading to the federal charges.

Congress members have asked the NBA why it had previously investigated Terry Rozier (another player arrested and charged by federal prosecutors) and not found any evidence of this alleged gambling. The NBA has responded by expanding its investigation. It had previously hired the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to handle the investigation, and the firm has now reached out to multiple NBA teams, including the Lakers, asking for their phones, according to Joe Vardon, Mike Vorunov and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

As a result of the charges filed against Damon Jones, a former NBA player and LeBron James' former shooting coach who had special access to the Lakers, Wachtell investigators are expected to seek documents, including cell phones and phone records, from at least 10 Lakers employees, league sources told The Athletic. Per league sources, Lakers assistant trainer Mike Mancias and executive administrator Randy Mims are among the employees who are already cooperating and who voluntarily handed their cell phones over to investigators. Both Mancias and Mims are employed by the Lakers because of their ties to James.

To be clear, LeBron, Mancias, and Mims are not charged with any crimes nor have they been mentioned in the federal investigation, the questions are more about what they might have known about Jones and his actions (Jones was arrested in part for allegedly selling inside information about LeBron's health and status to gamblers). Mancias is LeBron's personal trainer and has been for decades, Mims has been close to LeBron his entire career.

It's not just the Lakers. The Athletic report talks about a focus on several other teams.

At least two team executives for organizations mentioned in the charges against Jones and Rozier were notified by the league of an expanding investigation, league sources said.

One of those teams was apparently not Orlando, according to the report. However, as noted by The Athletic, the Magic were mentioned in federal investigations, tied to allegations that a "former regularly starting player" sold information to gamblers that the Magic planned to rest their starters in an April 2023 game against Cleveland. The Magic have made clear previously that the player in question is no longer a member of the organization.

New injury reporting guidelines

One change could come soon in the wake of the investigations: The NBA is reportedly looking into revising and tightening its injury reporting regulations, according to the report.

The NBA is barreling toward substantial changes in team rules for reporting injury statuses for players as part of the fallout from the ongoing betting scandal. In theory, the incidents surrounding the Lakers, Magic and Blazers could have been prevented with tighter rules governing when players must be declared injured in information released to the public.

Teams (some more than others, but all of them to some extent) try to keep injury information close to the vest, especially when it is day-to-day, both because it gives the team flexibility and forces opponents to game plan for more possibilities. Teams are intentionally vague about injury status, sometimes driven by coaches or front offices seeking a competitive edge (a trend that is far from exclusive to the NBA). Players will be officially listed as "day-to-day" for weeks, and their status could change to "probable" or "available" as late as possible to allow them to participate in a game. The League is looking to tighten this up.

It appears that the league is poised to crack down on this issue with new regulations and guidelines, which could be introduced sooner rather than later.

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George upgraded to questionable, Oubre and Bona sidelined for Sixers

George upgraded to questionable, Oubre and Bona sidelined for Sixers  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers had several pieces of significant injury news Sunday.

The first worth noting is that Paul George’s return appears imminent. George, who’s yet to play this season for the 7-5 Sixers, was listed as questionable for the team’s Monday night matchup vs. the Clippers.

George underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in July. He’s been practicing for over a month and looked sharp in post-practice workouts. 

A Sixers official said Tuesday that “the final stage” of George’s return process involved “the continued strengthening of his left quadricep.” The 35-year-old forward seems very close to checking off that final box.

The Sixers listed Kelly Oubre Jr., Adem Bona and Joel Embiid as out.

On the injury report, Oubre’s injury is described as a “left knee sprain.” He suffered the injury Friday in the second quarter of the Sixers’ loss to the Pistons. A team official said Sunday afternoon that Oubre has a left knee LCL injury and is meeting with specialists. 

The Sixers will need to make major adjustments without Oubre, who averaged 34.8 minutes over the first 12 games and posted 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. 

“Hopefully, it won’t be too serious,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. “But he’s really having a career year and he’s doing a lot of little things that don’t show up in the numbers as well. So we’ve got to take a good, strong look and see who’s plugging into all those little areas. He loves to play, loves to be out there. He’s super disappointed, obviously. … Let’s just hope it’s not too long. He’s been great this year.”

Justin Edwards is one obvious candidate to assume a larger role without Oubre. Dominick Barlow is another young player who looks set for plenty of minutes in the short term. He logged an impressive 29 against Detroit in his return from a nine-game absence with a right elbow laceration. Barlow said Sunday he’d only been able to do “a couple days of real cardio” while sidelined, but the 22-year-old forward’s conditioning wasn’t problematic in a 10-point, eight-rebound outing.

“That was about a full load for him right there,” Nurse said. “That was a lot for him the other night. I just think he’s a really important part of what we’re doing. He plays really hard, he transfers the ball (well), he’s got IQ. He just does a lot of really good things for us. As long as he keeps playing like that, he’s going to play a lot.”

Bona will miss at least the next three games because of a right ankle sprain. Andre Drummond will presumably remain the Sixers’ starting center for the time being.

Embiid will sit out his fourth straight game on Monday. He was a full practice participant Sunday, per a team official, and the Sixers have changed his injury designation from “right knee soreness” to “right knee injury management.” 

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What we learned as Moses Moody drops career-high 32 points in Warriors' huge win

What we learned as Moses Moody drops career-high 32 points in Warriors' huge win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

Winning three consecutive games might not feel so special for the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Denver Nuggets, but it’s worthy of a small celebration for the Warriors.

Golden State’s 124-106 win over the Pelicans on Sunday in New Orleans represents its first sign of momentum this season, guarantees at least a .500 road trip and assures the Warriors (9-6) will have a winning record when they return to the Bay Area on Friday.

Moses Moody led the offense, dropping a career-high 32 points on high efficiency, while Jimmy Butler contributed a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists, adding three rebounds. Brandin Podziemski continued his scoring uptick, putting in 19 points, while Buddy Hield chipped in 11.

The Warriors recorded 34 assists and drained a season-high 24 3-pointers, on 56 attempts, with Moody most responsible for showing the way.

Here are three observations from the fourth game of a six-game road trip:

Moody bounces back

If anyone on the Warriors needed a bounce-back game, it was Moody. Playing 30 minutes Friday night, he scored four points on 2-of-8 shooting, including 0-of-4 from beyond the arc in the win over the Spurs in San Antonio.

Moody bounced back in one of the most fantastic ways possible. He tried to bury the Pelicans early, scoring 21 points in the first quarter on 7-of-8 shooting from deep. He was plus-17 for the quarter and accounted for nearly half of Golden State’s 44 points, its highest total for any quarter this season.

Moody’s 21 points and seven triples represent career-highs in a single quarter for both categories. The seven 3-pointers are a career high for a game and are the most treys made by any player in any quarter this season.

Moody’s initial blast immediately gave the offense a jolt before he cooled over the final three quarters. His 32 points came on 10-of-16 shooting from the field, including 4-of-5 from the line. He was plus-22 over 32 minutes.

Bench brings a punch

Golden State’s bench, among the most offensively potent in the league, averaging 40.2 points per game before nosediving in the two previous games in San Antonio, returned to form at Smoothie King Center.

After scoring a total of 42 points in the two games against the Spurs, the bench crew produced 48 against the Pelicans.

Podziemski’s 19 points, on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, including 3-of-7 from distance, represent his highest total since he dropped 23 against the Grizzlies on Oct. 27.

Hield, in the deep freeze the past two weeks, averaging six points per game in November, tossed in 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. This is the second time this season he has made at least three triples.

Al Horford dropped in two 3-pointers for six points, while Quentin Post, Pat Spencer, Gui Santos and Trayce Jackson-Davis combined for the other 12 points.

Quiet night for the Chef

New Orleans came with a game plan Golden State has seen many times, rolling out the Anybody-but-Steph defense.

And as bad as the Pelicans have been this season, it’s something in their bag. They have in 6-foot-8 Herbert Jones one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, and 6-foot-8 Trey Murphy III provided plenty of supplemental assistance on the 6-foot-3 Curry.

The result was double- and triple-teams that never let Curry get any shooting rhythm – he even missed a free throw – and nudged him toward a decoy role. He didn’t sink his first goal until the third quarter, on his seventh attempt, a transition layup on a charity dime from Butler. His first 3-pointer came three minutes later.

Coming off successive performances of 46 and 49 points over his last two games, Curry finished with nine points on 2-of-11 shooting from the field, including 1-of-6 from beyond the arc. His gravity still was an asset, as he finished plus-18 over 28 minutes.

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